Here is a short version of an email we sent out to our mentors in January. Since we keep meeting amazing people on this journey, we thought it would be nice to publish them here, so if you are new to our list, you can see what we've been up to until now.
2016 IN REVIEW
We are thrilled to look back at 2016 and see how far we’ve come — we started with the idea to make breast pumping better as a school project for our Master’s final Integrated Product Design project at UPenn School of Engineering. Afterwinning the iDesign Prizefrom the School of Design, we turned this into a company,Lilu, Inc. through which we aspire to improve much more than breast pumping.
After graduation, we set up camp at theWeissTechHouse, a student-run hub of technological innovation at Penn.
Since then, we’ve had feedback from over 1000 mothers and lactation experts, developed and tested dozens of prototypes and participated in two amazing fellowships withYCombinatorandDreamit.
We’ve tested the latest prototypes with over 40 moms, and have seen milk output and time saving improvements for pumping mothers! One of our favorite quotes from a mom was “my right hand [is] so getting much needed rest.”
WHAT’S NEXT
For 2017, we’ll kick off the year by participating in the National Science Foundation’s I-Corps program in the Bay Area, where we’ll be towards the end of January and again in March. We’ll be focusing on exploring additional channels of distribution other than B2C and breastfeeding boutique stores.
We are getting ready for an even more action packed 2017 so stay tuned!
Lilu is a Women’s Health company building tech-enabled devices to empower new moms. Our first product, the Lilu Massage Bra, mimics compression massage, so you can empty your breasts fully to establish, increase and maintain your milk supply. Pump up to 50% more milk each session, all while going hands-free.
Introducing the revolutionary Lilu Lactation Massager Bra - designed to make your pumping sessions more efficient and comfortable than ever before. With our lactation massage cushions, you can experience the benefits of hands-on compression motions recommended by lactation experts, without using your hands. Our bra holds the cushions securely in place, massaging both breasts while you pump, helping to increase milk flow and maintain your milk supply.
